The Green Room

A metal sculpture on a small sand dune stands out in a lush green space of prairie dropseed (Sporobolus heterolepsis) and autumn olives (Elaeagnus umbellata), river birch (Betula nigra) and bamboo (Phyllostachys aurea) on the Shelter Island property of Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler.

Sparse Yet Elegant

A minimalist approach to an interior courtyard results in a zen-like retreat where a Japanese red maple (Acer bloodgood) becomes the focal point and an espalier green apple tree, carney rock and crushed gravel add to the austere beauty of the space.

Shapes and Textures

This side garden outside the master bedroom of a Shelter Island beach home is an enticing mixture of handmade concrete stepping stones, boulders, crushed clamshells, cement planters and a variety of succulent ground covers surrounding a specimen ‘Banshoho’ dwarf Japanese black pine, Hollywood junipers and blueberries.

Massachusetts Import

A closeup view of the crushed mahogany Quadhog clamshells from Massachusetts that landscape designer Vickie Cardaro uses as a textural ground cover in the manner of a painter or sculptor yet they serve a practical purpose as well.

The Path Less Taken

An almost hidden trail of circular concrete steps leads down to the seashore from the renovated beach home of Simon Doonan and Jonathan Adler. The sand dunes did not exist on the property until the Buttercup Design Group installed them for aesthetic beauty and storm-surge protection.

Classic Crush

The entrance to this Shelter Island home foregoes the usual hardscape approach to driveways and opts instead for the more visually pleasing look of crushed gravel with borders of Spirea napponica ’Snowmound’ and ‘Van Houttei,’ sea green junipers and autumn olives.

A Foggy Day

A light fog envelops the coast along Shelter Island, creating a mystical atmosphere that brings out the natural beauty of the landscape.